Timer control means



March 25, 1941. H. M. masa-L 2 i 2,236,394

I TIMER CONTROL MEANS Filed Oct. 18. 1939 2 sheets-Sheet 1 El -6 l IN VENTO'R 77 HERMAN/145MHz 5735+ v. l BY Z ATTORNEY 25, 1941. H. M. BIEBEL T'IMER CONTROL MEANS 2 shuts-sheet 2 Filed oct. 18, 1959 n@ MW Ln IN VENTOR 1? /vfHMAN/VB/BL BY sf/M ATTORNEY Patented Mar.`25, l1941 f UNITED STATES 2,236,394 TIMER coNrnoL MEANS Herman M. niebel, Elgin, nl., assigner to McGraw Electric Company, Elgin, Ill., a. corporation of Delaware Applicationocwber 1s, 1939, serialNe. 299,940

1o claims.

My invention relates to cooking devices' and particmariy |to time controlled electric toasters.

T-he main object of my invention is to provide relatively simple means controllable by an perator for varying the duration of the toasting operation.

Another object of my invention is .to provide -means controllable by anoperator atter initiation of a toasting operation for shortening the duration of a toasting operation.

Another object of my invention is to provide means controllable by an operator after initiation of a toasting operation for slnntening the duration of a toasting operation, lsaid means being rendered ineffective after the termination of a. toasting operation.

Other objects of my invention will either be specifically-pointed out hereinafter, particularly in the appended claims, or will beevident from the description of onel form of device now preferred by`me.

In the d-nawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevational view, on a reduced scale, of a vtoaster embodying my inven- 25 tion, A

'Fig 2 is a side elevational view on a reduced scale, of the toaster shown in Fig. 1,

Fig. 3 is a vertical lateral sectional view showing particularly the parts embodying my invention, these parts being shown in the positions they' occupy after the initiation of a toasting operation,

Fig. 4. is a fragmentary side elevational view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 3,

35 Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken on the line 55 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 6 a view in side elevation of a mechanical timer, taken on thev line 6--6 of Fig. 8 and showing particularly certain elements of the timer,

Fig. '7 is a the toaster,

Fig. 8 is a fron-t elevational view through a toaster embodying my invention taken on the line 8 8 of Fig. 9 and showin-g certain pants of v the toaster in inoperative position, and

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary side elevational view taken on the li-ne 9-9 of Fig. 8.

An automatic electric toaster designated gen- 50 erally .by the numeral 2| includes a skeleton base frame 23 which may be made of moulded comdiagram of the electric circuit for position4 material and a bottom plate 25 made of relatively thin sheet metalv and secured in any suitable or desired manner against a recessed u upper surface of the skeleton frame 23. The

toaster includes also a casing 21 including front, rear and side walls, which casing may be nia/de of thin sheet metal and be open attire top and alt .the bottom. The casing 21 may be secured, by any suitable means now Well known in the art and not shown in the drawings, adjacent to the upper surface of plate 2-5. The toaster casing -is provided with a cover 29 which is held against the upper edge of the casing 21 in any suitable or desired manner, not shown in the lo drawings, since these details constitute no part of my invention. Y.

I have elected to illustrate my device as applied to a standard two-slice toaster now being manufactured and sold and a toaster of this kind is provided with a pair of spaced vertically extending planarheating elements 3| of the general kind shown in Ireland Patent No. 2,001,362 and the toaster 2| will therefore include four spacedapart' vertically-extending planar heating elements, each including thin sheets of electric insul'ating material such as mica and a resistor 33 carried by the plates. The bottom edges of the respective planar resistors may have interfltting engagement, 'in well known manner, with 25 the plate 2-5 and their upper edges may be held i in proper lateral adjustment by one or more top frame plates 35 (see Fig. 8), ail in a'manner well .known in the art.

The base plate is provided with longitudi- 30 nally extending openings 31 therein, the number of such openings being equal to that of the number of slices of bread adapted to be simultaneously toasted in the toaster and the cover .23 is also provided with openings 39, equal in 35 number to the slices of bread which maybe simultaneously toasted'in a. toaster, to permit of inserting these slices of bread and of removing the slices of toast. The top frame plates 35wi1l also'be individually provided with bread-inserit- 4o ing and bread-removing openings registering with the openings 33. The device Vembodying myl invention is par ticulanly appli'ble to an automatic electric .toaster including a mechanicalV timing means, which .timing meansisdesignated by the Vnumeral ll and which mechanical timer may be of the type disclosed and claimed in Ireland Patent No. 1,866,808. Reference may be had to this last mentioned patent for details as to the construction of the timer. The timer rests upon .the base plate 2=5 and isheld in its proper operative position thereon by a bracket 43, which bracket may be secured to a front intermediate wall 45 constituting apart of the toa-ster.

The timer includes a spring shown at 41 in Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings and a rack bair 49 havi-ng a lug 5| extending laterally therefrom near its lower end for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to. The timer includes also a detent 53 in the shape of a double erm lever mounted pivotally on a pin 55 intermediate the ends of .the detent. The upper end of detent 53 is provided with a lateral lug 51 having a purpose to be hereinafter referred to.

The toaster includes further a bread carrier Istructure including one or more bread carriers 59, which bread carriers' are normally yieldingly biased to the upper full line position showniin Fig. 9 of the drawings by a spring 5|. This upper position is what may be called the non-toasting position and in order to initiate a toasting operation "the bread carriers will be moved downwardly into toasting position substantially as shown by the broken lines in Fig. l9 of the drawings.

Means for permitting movement of the bread carrier or carriers into toasting position may include a pair of outer vertically extending standards 53 and a pair of inner standards 65. The lower ends of these standards or rods may interfit with the base plate 25 while the upper ends thereof may be held in proper operative position by the top frame plates 35 and a cross bar 51.l A pair of f sliders 59 and 1| have reciprocal vertical movement on the pair of outer standards 63. These sliders are mechanically connected together by a cross bar 13 (see Fig. 5) which serves at the same time to secure the front end portions of carriers 59 to rearwardly extending portions of the sliders 59 and 1|. It may be here pointed out that the upper end Aof the biasing spring is connected to one of the top frame plates 35 or to a member supported thereby and extending therebetween in case of-a two-slice toaster, while the lower end of the coil spring 5| may be connected to the cross rod 13 intermediate its ends, as shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

Switch means for controlling the energization of the electric heaters may include a substantially fixed contact 15 located below the base plate 25 and suitably insulated therefrom and a movable contact arm 11 insulatedly mounted as, for instance. on a block 19 of electric-insulating material supported against the bottom of base plate 25. An actuating rod 3| is positioned in a tubular housing 33 located above the baseV plate 25.

fa coil spring 95 within the housing 33 being so arranged as to normally yieldingly bias actuating rod 3| upwardly into the position shown in Fig.

8 of'the drawings, at which `time contacts 15 and 11 will be out of engagement with each other and the electric heaters will therefore be deenergized.

Means for causing engagement of the4 two contact members when the bread carriers have been moved into toasting position may include a bracket lug 31 secured lto slider 59 in auch a manner tha-t when the bread carriers and sliders 59 and 1| are moved downwardly in a manner to he hereinafter described, lug 91 will engage the upper end of rod 9| and move it downwardly until the two contacts are in engagement.

Slider 1| is provided with an extension 39 of substantially L-shape at its lower end, the outer end of the horizontal portion of member 39 being so positioned that it may engage with and under the lower end of detent lever 53 so that the bread carriers and the sliders will be held in loweredi position for a predetermined length of time, until released by the timer in a manner to be hereinafter described. The member 39 includes also a vertically extending portion 9| which is of such width that it will project forwardly under a carriage 93 which is of substantially rectangular plate form. The carriage 93 is provided with an upper and a lower pair, of rollers 95, which rollers t against the inner pair of vertical standards 55 so that the carriage may be moved vertically on the standards. The carriage plate 93 is provided with a forwardly extending stub shaft 91 secured to the carriage plate, the shaft 91 extending outwardly through a slot in the front wall of the casing 21 and having -a knob 99 fixedly secured thereon. The shaft 91 has turning movement relatively to the carriage 93 in a bearing |09 secured to the carriage for a purpose to be hereinafter set forth.

'Ihe carriage 93 is provided at its right-hand sidewith a combined timer-winding and detenttripping member IBI. the general shape of portion |0| being shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings as -having a V-shaped recess |03 in its bottom edge. The lug 5| on the rack bar 49 is adapted to be engaged ir'i the recess |03 when the carriage 93 is moved downwardly by an operator pressing on the knob 99, starting with the bread carriers in their uppermost or non-toasting position, to wind or condition the spring 41 of the timer 4|.

To initiate a toasting operation with the parts shown in substantially the positions indicated in Fig. 8, the operator presses downwardly on knob 99, whereby the bread carriers are moved into their lower or toasting position, the mechanical timer 4| is conditioned for operation by winding up the spring 41 by downward movement of the rack bar 49 and at the same time, and particularly toward the end of the downward movement of the carriage, the heater control switch is closed. Since the portion 9| of slider 1| extends under a part of the carriage 93, it is obvious that the sliders and the bread carrier will be moved downwardly with the carriage. It is only necessary for the operator to movethe carriage and the sliders downwardly far enough to cause the horizontal portion of member 39 'to move under the detent lever 53 when it will be in the position shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings to move the carriers into toasting position, the detent lever acting upon member 39 to hold the bread carriers in their lowermost or toasting position.

The mechanical timer was wound to a predetermined condition by the downward movement of the timer winding member |l| and will then immediately begin to operate or run down or unwind, which will cause -a slow upward movement of the carriage since lug 5| on the rack bar flts into recess |93. The upper surface of member IM includes at least one cam surface |35 which is adapted to engage lug 51 on the detent lever when the carriage and member |9| have been moved upwardly a sufficient distance, which is shown particularly in Fig. 9 of the drawings. The engagement of surface |95 with lug 51 causes a turning movement of the detent lever 53 which results in releasing member I9 so that the tensioned spring 5| may cause quick upward movement of the bread carriers and simult .neous opening of the heater control switch.

The design, construction and adjustment of the parts thus far described and constituting the sliders, the carriage and the timer-winding and detent-releasing means is such that the timer is what may be called fully wound by the lowering of the carriers from non-toasting into toasting posi-tion and the'length of time required for the unwinding of the timer to cause a release movethat either a constant speed mechanical timer or` ment of-the detent leverto .occur is a predeter' mined length of time.

I have shown in Figs. 1', 2, 6 and-8 of the drawings that the mechanical .timer 4| is provided with an adjusting knob |01 mounted on a shaft |09 to permit of adjusting the Aspeed of the timer disclosed and ,claimed in the hereinbefore mentioned Ireland Patent No. 1,866,808 which', as theredisclosed, is a variable speed timer. I do not.. however, desire 'to limit my invention to a variable .speed mechanical timer since I may use a constant speed timer instead of a variable speed timer ,although I naturally prefer to use a variable .speed timer or rather an adjustable timer since it permits of obtaining dierent durations of y,toasting operations with uniform or full winding of the timer. When I call for or refer to a timerin the claims, I desire it to be understood a vvariable speed mechanical timer having means for` adjusting the speed is intendedto be covered and I include also the casev where a variable speed timer is provided with a thermo-bar subject to toaster temperature for varying the speed. of the variable speed timer in accordance with the temperature of the toaster. A toaster of this general kind is disclosed and claimed in Graham Patent No. 2,138,674 assigned to the same company as is the present application.

As has already been set forth hereinbefcre in connection with certain parts ofthe toaster, all

ofthe above described details areold and well known in the art and the parts more particularly constituting my invention will now be described.

VIt may be possible that one user of a toaster f of this kind may desire his bread toasted to a given degree, say to medium or to dark. As is well known,`the adjusting knob |01 permits not only of different users obtaining diierent degrees of toasting of similarslices of bread to suit their own personal requirements or desires but this adjusting knob permits also of compensating for variations in the voltage in the supply circuit to which toasters' of this general type may be connected.

My invention provides means for reducing the -length of time of a toasting operation so that when desired by a second operator or user wishing to produce vless toasted bread, a very simple manipulation will obtain this result. A small plate is movably mounted on carriage 93 and has an elongated opening ||3 at substantially the mid-central portion thereof, the lower wall of this opening being provided with teeth ||5. A` pinion l I1` is flxedly mounted on shaft 91, theteeth of which mesh withthe teeth H5. The plate |I| is normally yieldingly biased into a given position as by a tension spring ||9, one end of which is connected to the left-hand end of plate |||l while the other end is connected to an extension |2| on carriage 93. The plate isheld against the front surface of carriage 93 by a pair of lheaded rivets |23, the plate III being provided with elongated slots |25 receiving the body of the rivets |23.

In the jright-hand end of platey there/is provided a detent trip member |21 which is generallyin the form of a small angularly extending plate portion which may be integral with plate Member |21 is positioned at a 4given distance above cam surface |05.

It will be noted'that normally the plate and member |21 are biased to respectively the leftg-hand position and to inoperativeor ineffective position, that is, one where member |21 will not engage pin 51 on the detent lever when the 'carriage is moved upwardly by the timer after initiation of a toasting iperation.

I provide also means for locking the plate vin its left-hand kposition so that the detent trip member will be ineffective, by a pivotally mounted arm |29 on the plate and having a shoulder'V |3| near its right-hand or free end. Normally this shoulder will rest upon the upper edge of portion 9| of member 89. It is thus evident that should the operator attempt toturn theknob 99 in a counter-clockwise direction when the bread carrier is in non-toasting position, he will be .prevented from doing so by engagement of shoulder |3| against portion 9| of the slider 1|.

I provide means for causing the holding means |29 to be moved out of its locking position, this means including a small vertical bar |33, the height of which is such that when the sliders and the carriage have been moved into their lowermost position, the upper end of the bar 33 will engage and cause a small amount of counterclockwise turning of arm |29. It is therefore possible for an operator to.move the auxiliary or sec-` jection may be integral with theplate and lbentV out therefrom in aV forwardly direction. A holdlng or locking means includes a bar |31 of substantially L-shape, which bar is pivotally mountn ed adjacent its upper end on a pivot pin |39supported by a pair of brackets |4| secured to or integral with carriage 93.' The holding arm |31 is normally held in; a position where its lower end engages the lug |35, by a spring |33 surrounding the pivot pin |39. The upper horizontally bent end portion of holding bar |31 is so positioned that upon termination of a toasting operation and full upward movement of the carriage 93 it will engage cross bar 6,1 and -thereby cause a small amount of clockwise turning movement when seen from its right-hand side, as shownin Fig. 9 of the drawings. Means for preventing tilting'movement of arm |31 on its pivotal'supfv port may include a lug |45 which may be secured to or integral with the carriage 93 and which engages the left-hand side or edge of arm |31.

Let it be assumed that an operator desires to toast one or more slices of bread to a lesser degree than provided for by the setting of adjusting knob |01 and the use of the main trip `member IBI. He would then proceed as follows: Push downwardly on the knob 99 to the full 'extent thereby fully winding the timer, `closing the switchand causing .interlocking engagement of the lower end of detent lever 53 and of member 89 of the slider 1|. The arm |29 would then vroccupy the position shown in Fig. 3, so that plate i it is obvious that my invention is not limitedv thereto and I desire to have it understood that second or auxiliary detent trip member is positionedahead' of the 'main trip member IUI and particularly thesurface |05 so that member |21 will engage-lug 51 in a time less than the predetermined time required by cam surface |05 to engage' the lug or pin 51 to cause termination of a toasting operation. y

The holding arm |31 will be engaged by'projection |35 so that during the running-'down period of the timer or during the duration of a toasting operation, plate III and trip membber |21 will be in the positions shown in Fig. 3. Shortly after the detent lever 53 has been released by--the auxiliary trip member |21 the upper horizontally extending part of holding arm |31 will engage the lower surface of cross bar 61 and will be forced from the position shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings to the position shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, that is, its lower end will be moved out of holding engagement with projection |35 so that spring H9 can move plate to the left so that the auxiliary detent trip member will be moved again into its normal ineiective position.

It is, therefore, obvious that the device particularly embodying my invention provides a relatively simple manually-operable means for permitting a user of a toaster embodying my invention to obtain a lighter degree of toasting of a slice or slices of bread should he so desire. I wish to point out here that it is not necessary for the operator or user of the toaster to select any one of a number of different members in accordance with the degree of toasting desired but that all that is necessary is to grasp the actuating knob, move it downwardly without turning if acertain degree of toasting is desired, or to move it down and' then turn it slightly if a lesser degree of toasting is desired.

I wish to point out also that the device embodying my invention is useful in case it is found that a toaster embodying my invention is connected to a source of supply of excessively high voltage, which would, with the normal setting of the toaster control, result in dark or even burnt toast. All that is necessary when this condition is found to be present is for the user to initiate a toasting operation by pressing on and moving downwardly the actuating knob and whenl it has been moved downwardly to its limit, to turn the knob slightly in the manner hereinbefore described. It may also be pointed out that the auxiliary detent-tripping means is held in ineffective position until after the initiation of a toasting operation and if used, is moved into ineffective position. immediately after the termination of a toasting operation. If, therefore, the adjusting knob |01 is moved, say tothe position indicated by D'i in Fig. 1 of the drawings to obtain dark toast, a toaster provided with the device embodying my invention will give or provide such toast if desired by the operator `but is ready to-give or provide toast of lighter color if desired by another operator.

While I have illustrated and described a control switch for the toasting heater which fully interrupts the energization of the toast heater,

the use of a switch which will merely properly lreduce the degree of energization of the toast heater at the termination of atoasting operation may also be used with my invention. Idesire to point out furtherthat I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of my invention as applied to a specific toaster but it is obvious that my invention may be embodied in other forms and applied to other kinds and types of toasters and cooking devices and I therefore desire that the appended claims be con- Astrued to cover all obvious variations and modifi. kcations of my invention.

I claim as my invention:

`1. In an automatic electric toaster comprising toast heating elements, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toasting positions relatively to the toast heating elements and normally yieldingly biased into non-toasting position, a mechanical timer, a carriage operatively connected with the carrier, a knob rotatably mounted on the carriage and effective to cause' vmovement of the carriage and of the carrier in one direction into toasting position, a detent for holding the carrier in toasting position, a timer- Vwinding and detent-trip member iixedly mounted on the carriage effective when the carrier is moved into toasting position to condition the timer for operation, said timer then operating to cause return movement of -the carriage and effect release movement of said detent in a shorter length of time than said predetermined length of time and means to hold said second detent-trip member in said alined position.

2. In an automatic electric toaster comprising toast heating elements, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toasting positions relatively to the toast heating elements and normally yieldingly biased into non-toasting position, a mechanical timer, a carriage operatively connected with the carrier, a knob rotatably mounted on the carriage and eifective to cause movement of the carriage and of the carrier in one direction into toasting position, a detent for holding the carrier in toasting position, a timerwinding and detent-trip member xedly mounted on the carriage effective when the carrieris moved into toasting position to condition the timer for operation, said timer then operating to cause return movement of the carriage and the timorwinding and detent-trip member to cause the latter to engage and effect release movement of the detent a predetermined length of time after starting to operate, the improvement comprising a second detent-trip member movably mounted on said carriage normally biased out of alinement with said iixedly mounted detent-trip l member, means operable by the knob only when said carriage has been moved a given distance in said one direction to move said second tripmember into alinement with said fixedly mountl means for said second detent trip membery at' the end of the return movement of said carriage.

3. In an automatic electric toaster comprising toast heating elements, a control switch therefor normally yieldingly biased to open position, a mechanical timerl a'. carriage movable in one direction to cause closing of said control switch, a carriage-actuating knob rotatably mounted on said carriage and effective to cause movement of the carriage in said one direction and closure of said switch, a, detent for holding said switch closed, a timer-winding and detenttrip member iixedly mounted on the carriage effective when the carriage is moved in said one direction and said control switch is closed to condition the timer for operation, said timer then operating to cause return movement of the carriage and the timer-winding and detenttripmember to cause the. latter to engage and effect release movement of the detent a predetermined length of time -after starting to operate, the improvement comprising a second detent-trip member movably mounted on said carriage normally biased out of alinement with said xedly mounted detent-trip member, means operable by the knob only whensaid carriage has been moved a given-distance in said one direction to move said second trip-member into alinement with said xedly mounted trip member to cause timer-eiected return movement of the second trip member to effect release movement of said detent in a shorter length of time than said predetermined length of time and means to hold said second detent-trip member in said alined position.

4. In an automatic electric toaster comprising toast heating elements, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toasting positionsl relatively to the toast heating elements and normally yieldingly biased into non-toasting position, a mechanical-timer, a carriage operatively connected with the carrier, a knob rotatably mounted on the carriage and effective to cause movement of the carriage andof the carrier in one direction into toasting position, a detent for holding the carrier in toasting. position. a timerwinding and detent-trip member xedly mounted on the carriage effective when the carrier is moved into toasting position to condition the timer for operation, said timer then operating to cause return movement of the carriage and the timer-winding and detent-trip member to cause the latter'to engage and eiect release movement Mof the detent a predetermined length of'tlme after starting to operate, the improvement comprising a second detent-trip member movably mounted on said carriage normally biased out of alinement with said xedlyfmounted detent-trip member, .means operable by the knob only when said carriage has been moved to bring the bread carrier into substantially toasting position to move said second trip-mem- ,ber into alinement with said xedly mounted trip member Ato cause timer-eiected return movement of the second trip member to eect release movement of said detent in a shorter 5. In a cooking device comprising a heating,

means, means for initiating a cooking operation,I a. mechanical timer, and means to condition: the timer simultaneously with the initiation of a cooking operation and actuable'by the operating timer toveffect termination of a cooking operation after a predetermined length of time, the improvement comprising a second operationterminating means normally yieldingly biased out of alinement with said flrstnamed operation-terminating means, manually operable means for moving said second operation-terminating means into alinement with said rst named operation-terminating means to cause said second terminating means to cause termination of a cooking operation in less than said predetermined length of time, means to hold said second terminating means lin said alined position and means for causing release movement of said holding means on termination of a cooking operation.

6. In a cooking device comprising electric heating means, a food support movable into operative and non-operative positions relatively to the electric heating means and normally yieldingly biased into non-operative position, means.

to move the food support into operative position, a detent for holding the food support in operative position, a mechanical timer, a detent-trip member movable by the operating timer to engage said detent and cause it to release said food support after a predetermined length of time of operation of the timer, the improvement comprising a second detent-trip member operatively supported by said rst named detenttrip member and normally yieldingly, biased out of alinement with said rst named detent-trip member, manual means operatively supported b y said iirst named detent-trip member for moving said second detent-trip member relatively to said rst detent-trip lmember into alinement with and leading said nrst detent-trip member to causesaid second detent-trip member to actuate the detent to release said foodsupport in a shorter than said predetermined length of time required by said rst detent-trip member.

7. In an'electric cooking device comprisingelectric heating means, means for initiating an operation of the cooking device, a mechanical timer and .means to condition the timer for operation at the initiation of a cooking operation, said timer-conditioning means being thereafter actuated by the timer to eect terminatiton of a cooking operation after a predetermined length of time, the improvement comprising a second operation-terminating means operatively supported byV said timer-conditioning and operation-terminating means and having two opposed positions relatively thereto, means normally biasing and locking said second operation-terminating means in position out of alinement with said i'lrst named terminating means, means effective only at substantially the end of the initiation of an operation for releasing said locking means from its locking position, manually-actuable means operatively supported by said first named terminating means for moving said second terminating means into alinement with said first named terminating means when said locking means has been moved out of locking positionand means to lock said second terminating meansv in said latter postion until the termination of a cooking operation.

8. In an electric Ycooking'device comprising electric heating means, means including a manuallyactuable knob for initiating a cookingoperation, a. mechanical timer, means movable by said knob tccondition the timer for operation at the initiation of a cooking operation and thereafter mov- `able by said timer to eiect termination of a cooking operation after 'a predeterminedlength of time, the 'improvement comprising a second operation-terminating means operatively supported by said rst named operation-terminating means and having two opposed positions relatively thereto, means normally biasing and locking said sec- `ond operation-terminating means out of alinement with said rst named operation-terminating means, means to engage said locking means at substantially the end of the initiation of a cooking operation to render it ineffective, means connecting said manually-actuable knob and said second operation-terminating means to cause turning movement of the knob when said locking means has been rendered ineifective to move said second operation-terminating means into alinement with said first named operation-terminating means to cause it to terminate a cooking operation in less than said predetermined time, means to hold said second operation-terminating means in said alined position and means to release said -means holding said second operation-terminating means in alined position at the end of a cooking operation.

9. In an automatic electric toaster comprising toast heating elements, a bread carrier movable into toasting and non-toasting positions relative. 1y to the toast heatingelements and normally yieldingly `biased into non-toasting position, a mechanical timer, a carriage operatively connected with the carrier, a knob rotatably mounted on the carriage and effective to cause movement of the carriage and of the carrier in one direction into toasting position, a detent for holding-the carrier in toasting position, a timer-winding and detent-trip member fixedly mounted on the carriage effective when the carrier is moved into toasting position to condition the timer for operation, said timer then operating to cause return movement of the carriage and the timer-winding and detent-trip member to cause the latter to engage and eiect release movement of the detent a predetermined length of time after starting to opertae, the improvement comprising a second detent-trip member movably mounted on said carriage normally biased out of alinement with said fixedly mounted detent-trip member, a lock. ing member on said second detent-trip member to normally lock it out of alinement with said ilrst detent-trip member, means engaging said locking member when the bread carrier is in toasting position to move it out of locking position, means connecting the knob and the second detent-trip member to cause turning movement of the knob by an operator after the bread carrier is in toasting position to move said second detent-trip member into alinement with said first named detenttrip member to cause it to engage said detent and effect carrier-release movement thereof' in less than said predetermined length oftime, means to hold said second detent-trip member in said alined position during` the return movement of the carriage and the rst and second detent trip members and means to cause release of the means holding the second detent-trip member in alined position at the end of the said return movement thereof.

' 10. In an'automatic electric toaster comprising toast heating elements, a control switch therefor normally yieldingly biased into open position, a mechanical timer, a carriage movable in one direction tocause closing of said control switch, a carriage-actuating knob rotatably mounted on the carriage to cause movement thereof in said one direction and closure of the switch, a detent for holding said switch closed, a timer-winding and detent-trip member xedly mounted-on the carriage to condition said timer coincident with closure of the switch, said timer then operating to cause return movement of the carriage and of the detent-trip member to cause the latter to engage and effect release movement of the detent a predetermined length of time after the timer starts to operate, the improvement comprising a second detent-trip member movably supported on said carriage means normally biasing and locking said second detent-trip member out of alinement with said first named detent-trip member, means eiective when the carriage has been moved in said one direction to cause closurel of said switch to release said locking means, turning movement of said vknob then causing movement of the second detent-tripmember into alinement with and ahead of said rst named detent-trip member whereby to cause said second detent-trip member to engage and cause tripping of said detent sooner than it would have been engaged and tripped by said first named detent-trip member, means to hold said second detent-trip member in said alined'position and means to cause release of the means holding said second detent-trip member in said alined position at the end of said return movement of the carriage and detent-trip members.

HERMAN M. BIEBEL. 

